Page 7 - Defence

India's defence MRO sector set to take off over the next five years

Global OEMs like Boeing, Lockheed Martin partnering with domestic players for world-class facilities

Southeast Asian defence chiefs meet amid maritime disputes with China

Southeast Asian defence chiefs and representatives are meeting in the Laotian capital on Wednesday for security talks at a time of increasing maritime disputes with China in the Asia-Pacific and as the transition to a new US president looms. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was set to join the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations defence ministers in Vientiane, where many will be looking for assurances ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's return to power in January. Austin just wrapped up meetings in Australia with officials there and Japan's defence minister, where they pledged their ongoing support for ASEAN and their "serious concern about destabilising actions in the East and South China Seas, including dangerous conduct by the People's Republic of China against Philippines and other coastal state vessels". In addition to the US, other nations attending the two-day ASEAN meetings include Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and China. Along with the ...

Defence Space Agency conducts maiden 'Exercise Antariksha Abhyas 2024'

Antariksha Abhyas 2024 successfully met its objectives of improving interoperability, fostering mutual understanding and enhancing cohesion between the tri-services and Defence Space Agency

Navy to conduct Sea Vigil-24 coastal defence drill at 'unprecedented scale'

This will be the fourth edition of the Pan-Indian coastal defence exercise, with officials from the National Security Council Secretariat participating for the first time

'Adaptive Defence' doctrine to deal with emerging challenges: Rajnath Singh

Defence minister says interconnectedness as much a blessing as a challenge; if our threats are transnational, so should be our solutions

Phased induction of Indian army's 'Project Akashteer' underway: Report

The phased induction of control and reporting systems under 'Project Akashteer' of the Indian Army is currently underway and out of a total requirement of 455 systems, 107 have been delivered, official sources said on Tuesday. The project aims to deliver a situational awareness and control for the force to ensure safety of friendly aircraft and engage hostile aircraft in contested airspace. Through this project, a cutting-edge initiative designed to automate air defence control and reporting processes by digitising them, the Indian Army is positioning itself at the forefront of air defence technology, ensuring a secure and vigilant airspace over India, a source said. "Project Akashteer's phased induction is already underway. Out of a total requirement of 455 systems, 107 have been delivered, with an additional 105 expected by March 2025. The remaining units will be delivered by March 2027, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the Indian Army's defence units and formations," the ..

India, US commit to strengthen strategic defence ties during key Delhi meet

India and the US held a key two-day military cooperation group meeting ending on Wednesday during which both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the scope of the bilateral military cooperation with a shared understanding of the dynamic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region. The 21st edition of India-US Military Cooperation Group (MCG) meeting was conducted from November 5-6 at the Manekshaw Centre here. Senior officials from both countries took the opportunity to review the ongoing initiatives and explore new areas of cooperation. "The meeting covered a wide range of topics, including capacity building, training exchanges, defence industrial cooperation and the advancement of joint exercises that bolster preparedness for conventional and hybrid threats," the Indian Defence Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The meeting was co-chaired by Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Lieutenant General J P Mathew, representing India, and Deputy Commander of the US ...

Changes to be made to charter of Civil Defence, Home Guards: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said his ministry will make changes to the charter of the Civil Defence and Home Guards within four months to make it more relevant and useful. Civil Defence and Home Guards will become irrelevant if their roles are not changed in accordance with the present requirements of the country, Shah said while addressing the 14th All India Conference of Civil Defence and Home Guards here. "I believe that keeping in mind the requirements of the country today, there is a need to rethink the role of these two organisations to make them more relevant," the minister said. The changes will be effected in four months, he said, adding that a lot of new things will be added. ".....we will make it relevant and also try to make it useful and work towards bringing a new consciousness, a new life into the movement," Shah said. If the charter of any organisation is not changed for fifty years, both the organisation and charter become irrelevant, he said. "India

Airbus likely to cut up to 2,500 jobs in defence, space divisions: Report

The European planemaker aims to implement the cuts, which represent 7 per cent of its workforce in the Defence & Space unit, by the middle of 2026

Army chief Gen Dwivedi embarks on Japan visit to boost defence cooperation

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi is on a four-day visit to Japan with an aim to bolster defence cooperation between the two countries. During his visit from October 14-17, the Army chief will also visit Hiroshima, wherein he will lay a wreath at the Hiroshima Peace Park and pay floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue at the Peace Park. The visit marks a "significant step in bolstering defence cooperation between India and Japan," the defence ministry said in a statement here. On Monday, Gen Dwivedi will interact with Sibi George, India's Ambassador to Japan and would thereafter engage in a discussion on India-Japan relations at the Embassy of India in Tokyo. He will engage in dialogue with the senior military leadership of Japan at the defence ministry in Ichigaya on Tuesday. During his visit, the Army chief will hold meetings with Gen Yoshida Yoshihide, Chief of Staff, Joint Self Defence Force; Gen Morishita Yasunori, Chief of Staff, Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF);

Indian Navy ships on 4-day long-range training deployment arrives in Muscat

The port call on October 5 further signifies strengthening of existing defence relations between India and Oman in maritime domain, said a statement from Ministry of Defence on Sunday

India advocated for peaceful solution to Indo-Pacific disputes: Rajnath

India has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution to disputes and has sought to promote cooperation among nations in the Indo-Pacific, with a strong emphasis on the centrality ofEAN, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday. His remarks come amid China's increasing military muscle-flexing in the region. In his address at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2024 here, he also expressed concern over "certain attempts to monopolise and weaponise critical resources for strategic reasons", terming these tendencies as not conducive for the global good. Singh emphasised that India's engagement with its partners is guided by the understanding that true progress can only be achieved through collective action and synergy, and due to these efforts, it is now considered as a "credible and preferred security partner and first responder" in the region. "India's vision for the Indo-Pacific is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in

Japan's new PM expresses regret for governing party's slush fund scandal

New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba opened his first policy speech in office Friday by expressing deep regrets over the governing party's slush funds scandal that dogged his predecessor. Ishiba replaced Fumio Kishida on Tuesday with the paramount mission of quickly pacifying public anger over financial misconduct in the Liberal Democratic Party and regaining support ahead of an Oct 27 parliamentary election. I will achieve politics that is not for politicians but for the people, Ishiba said, pledging to provide sincere explanations and ensure that lawmakers abide by the rules. He set five policy pillars to uphold, including security, economy and disaster resilience. Ishiba said he will bolster Japan's military capability to defend itself from threats from China, Russia and North Korea under the framework of the Japan-US security alliance. He did not mention two goals he advocated before taking office making the Japan-US security alliance more equitable and establishing a .

Need for future leaders to enhance decision-making in battlespace: CDS

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday said there is a need for future strategic leaders to enhance quick decision-making in technology-driven battlespace where timelines are shrinking rapidly. In his address at the closing of the pioneering tri-Services Future Warfare Course, General Chauhan underscored that artificial intelligence, machine learning, advancements in stealth technology and hypersonics and also robotics will dictate the character of future wars. The course aims to create a cadre of tech-enabled military commanders equipped with handling the complexities of the modern battlespace. Apart from being personally driven by the Chief of the Defence Staff, the course was rank-agnostic, with participants having service ranging from 13 to 30 years, the defence ministry said in a statement. "A dynamic security environment coupled with the proliferation of niche technologies, changing character of warfare and lessons learnt from recent and ongoing conflicts ...

DRDO successfully conducts 1st phase firing trials of light tank 'Zorawar'

During the field trials conducted in the desert terrain, the Light Tank demonstrated exceptional performance

A safe place for women: Military needs greater gender sensitisation

The military's growing number of women officers highlights the need for gender sensitisation. Recent harassment cases show systemic flaws that must be addressed for true gender equality

Indian Navy looking to conclude 3 deals worth Rs 1.25 trn by end of FY25

The Indian Navy has also been provided full support by the government for its urgent modernisation requirements, as it has been provided the highest ever capital budget of Rs 61,000 crore this year

IDF strikes Hezbollah rocket launchers as Israel declares 48-hour emergency

Israel's Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, declared an emergency. This comes as a "special situation in the home front," which enables the IDF Home Front Command to issue restrictions

Indian Coast Guard D-G Rakesh Pal dies due to cardiac arrest in Chennai

Director General of Indian Coast Guard Rakesh Pal, who played a key role in boosting his force's operational prowess, died at a hospital in Chennai on Sunday following a cardiac arrest, officials said. Pal had taken charge as the 25th Indian Coast Guard (ICG) chief on July 19 last year. The officer, who was to attend an ICG event along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital (RGGH) after he complained of chest pain. "Deeply saddened at the untimely demise of Shri Rakesh Pal, DG, Indian Coast Guard in Chennai today," the defence minister said on 'X'. "He was an able and committed officer under whose leadership ICG was making big strides in strengthening India's maritime security. My heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family," he said. Singh also visited the hospital where he paid respects to Pal. The officer, who was an ardent music lover and an avid sports enthusiast, hailed from Uttar Pradesh. He is survived by wife Dipa Pal and two

US takes additional steps to support Israel's defence amid regional tension

On Saturday, the US issued an alert, calling its citizens to book any ticket available to leave Lebanon